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Venezuela's vice president said the government would respect the high court if it rules to allow a February 2 referendum on President Hugo Chavez's rule.

However, Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel warned that such a ruling would create chaos in this country of 24 million coping with a general strike called by opponents to overthrow Chavez.

"If the Supreme Tribunal confirms the referendum is constitutional we will accept it," said Rangel. The govern-ment, he added, complied with a ruling exonerating the leaders of an April 11 coup against Chavez.

Anger is growing on both sides as the strike drags into its sixth week. It has hurt oil production in the world's fifth-largest exporter and depleted store shelves.

Chavez's opponents call him authoritarian and unfit to govern, while supporters of the leftist former paratrooper accuse strikers of trying to force a coup.

On tuesday, an airliner headed to the Dominican Republic was forced to return to Caracas when passengers staged an on-board protest targeting an ally of Chavez.

They shook fold-out trays and shouted to protest the presence of retired General Belisario Landis, Venezuela's ambassador in Santo Domingo, shortly after the Aeropostal-Alas de Venezuela flight left the ground. The pilots returned to Caracas, and everyone on board was evacuated.

The boeing 727 took off again an hour later, after passengers promised not to disrupt the flight again.

Another incident occurred inside the airport on Tuesday when an unidentified man threw a tear-gas grenade at a group that was shouting "Assassins! Assassins!" at pro-Chavez lawmakers.

After a few minutes of confusion, the airport continued functioning normally.

On november 6, opposition groups presented election authorities with the 2 million signatures required to convoke the nonbinding referendum on Chavez's rule.

Under venezuelan law, citizens can convoke a referendum by gathering signatures from at least 10 percent of the nation's 12 million registered voters.

If high court magistrates declare the referendum legal, Rangel said, the government will urge the president's supporters to abstain from casting ballots.

Allies and adversaries of Chavez have presented the Supreme Tribunal with 14 cases for and against the plebiscite.

www.japantoday.com Thursday, January 16, 2003 at 09:30 JST

CARACAS — The holding early next month of a non-binding referendum on President Hugo Chavez's rule appeared increasingly in doubt Wednesday as Venezuelans looked abroad for help in resolving their months-long political and economic crisis.

The autonomous National Electoral Council (CNE) said it lacked the funds needed to hold the referendum, which is slated for Feb 2.

The administration, meanwhile, has said it will not provide the money until the Supreme Court rules on the legality of the plebiscite, which the opposition succeeding in getting scheduled by delivering to the CNE a petition with more than 2 million signatures.

CNE Vice President Jose Manuel Zerpa reiterated that, with its refusal to provide funds, "the administration is blocking the consultative referendum and infringing on the rights of voters." Meanwhile, ruling-party lawmaker Iris Varela cited what she said was the "technical inability" of the CNE to organize and hold a "transparent and impartial" referendum on the date scheduled.

In addition to the future of the non-binding referendum, Venezuelans are also awaiting the possible emergence of a "Friends of Venezuela" group that could help find a solution to the debilitating crisis.

Lawmakers from Chavez's 5th Republic Movement (MVR) have vetoed the United States as a possible member of the projected group, saying Washington's coolness toward the leftist-populist Chavez rules it out. Representatives of the opposition Democratic Coordinator oppose the inclusion of Brazil and Colombia, which they claim support the beleaguered president.

The two sides agree, however, that foreign cooperation could help jumpstart the negotiations moderated by Organization of American States (OAS) chief Cesar Gaviria to find "an electoral, constitutional, democratic and peaceful" solution to the Venezuelan crisis.

OAS-sponsored talks, which adjourned Monday and are scheduled to resume on Thursday, began on Nov 8 but have yet to produce results.

Both sides also concur on the need to resolve the crisis as soon as possible in view of the serious damage being sustained by the economy due to the open-ended general strike called by the opposition to try to force Chavez to step down or call immediate elections.

While support for the 45-day-old strike has waned among many small business owners, it remains strong in the vital oil industry, which accounts for 80% of Venezuela's exports and half of all government revenue. (EFE News Service)

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seattlepi.nwsource.com Wednesday, January 15, 2003 · Last updated 4:13 p.m. PT By ORLANDO CUALES ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao -- Curacao's oil refinery, one of the world's largest, will restart its main plant this weekend and gradually resume processing crude, company officials said Wednesday.

Curacao's Refineria Isla, which receives most of its oil from Venezuela, shut down its 37 refining plants last month when Venezuela's general strike halted oil shipments to the Dutch Caribbean island.

The refinery will restart its main plant Saturday and production at other plants through next week, a decision made after Venezuela pledged to resume some oil shipments, general manager Norbert Chaclin said. He offered no further details.

By Jan. 25, the refinery should be processing 150,000 barrels of crude a day to supply gasoline and other petroleum products to markets in the Netherlands Antilles and Venezuela, officials said. At full capacity, the refinery can process up to 335,000 barrels a day.

"We do not foresee the availability of enough crude to start supplying international clients," Chaclin said. "We will monitor and see how the situation develops regarding supply of crude oil."

Oil lubricants production remains on hold, but could resume if international clients show demand, he said.

During the refinery's shutdown, it provided markets in Bonaire and Curacao with gasoline from about two months worth of stocks. The two Dutch islands are located just off the coast of Venezuela.

Curacao's refinery, which employs more than 1,000 full-time workers, is owned by Curacao's government but is operated by Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., Venezuela's state-owned oil company.

Venezuela's opposition leaders called a general strike to press President Hugo Chavez to step down or call a referendum on his rule. The strike, now six weeks old, has prevented many oil tankers in Venezuela from leaving the port.

Once the world's fifth-largest oil exporter, Venezuela has spent $105 million to import more than 2 million barrels of gasoline since a strike began Dec. 2. It's the first time Venezuela has imported gasoline in almost a century.

www.sfgate.com CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER, Associated Press Writer Wednesday, January 15, 2003

(01-15) 15:48 PST CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) --

A seven-week-old opposition strike against President Hugo Chavez dropped Venezuela's currency to a new low Wednesday and sent Venezuelans in the capital scrambling to banks to buy dollars.

Support for Chavez's adamant refusal to consider early elections showed signs of crumbling as three pro-Chavez lawmakers unveiled a plan for an early vote on his presidency.

The strike has slashed oil exports to a trickle, depriving the government of half its income. Venezuela's bolivar currency closed at 1,716 to the U.S. dollar, down 6 percent from Tuesday. In Caracas, hundreds of citizens waited in long lines at banks and exchange houses to buy dollars.

Trying to calm fears of an economic crash, the government denied speculation that it plans to devalue the bolivar so it can balance its $25 billion budget. Most government income is in dollars and a weaker bolivar would increase its domestic spending power.

Venezuela has acknowledged the oil strike has cost $4 billion so far.

Venezuela's opposition launched the strike Dec. 2 to demand that Chavez resign or call early elections if he loses a Feb. 2 nonbinding referendum on his rule.

The National Elections Council is organizing the vote, but Chavez says he will ignore it, and ruling party lawmakers have challenged its legality in court. Venezuela's constitution allows citizens to petition for a binding referendum halfway through a six-year presidential term, or August. Opposition leaders fear Chavez will find a way to postpone it.

Chavez was elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000.

Rafael Simon Jimenez, a pro-Chavez lawmaker who quit the leftist Podemos party, said he and two other legislators would introduce a measure as early as next week to amend the constitution. It would end Chavez's term later this year and allow general elections.

The proposal by Jimenez and Chavez supporters Guillermo Palacios and Luis Salas would leave opposition legislators just one vote shy of a simple majority needed to pass an amendment in the 165-seat Congress. Jimenez said he was looking for that vote.

Elections are the only way to solve Venezuela's political crisis and end the 45-day-old strike, which has raised gasoline and oil prices abroad, Jimenez said.

"We don't see an elections as a break with Chavez. We see elections as a response to the country's crisis," Jimenez said.

Legislator Freddy Lepage of the opposition Democratic Action party said Chavez was steadily losing support in Congress as the crisis deepened. "We still don't have the majority, but I'm confident we'll have it soon," he said.

Chavez enjoys the support of the military, which he purged of dissidents after a brief April coup. The government claims oil production is back up to 800,000 barrels a day, compared to a pre-strike level of 3 million barrels a day.

The U.S. Energy Department says American motorists could pay up to $1.54 per gallon of gasoline this spring even if war is averted in Iraq. Home heating oil prices rose 4.7 percent in December.

Negotiations mediated by Cesar Gaviria, secretary general of the Organization of American States, were briefly suspended while the region's leaders attended the Wednesday inauguration of Ecuadorean President Lucio Gutierrez.

In Quito, Ecuador, Chavez lashed out at his opponents as "a subversive movement from the far right, a fascist movement backed by economic elites."

Chavez was to meet with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in New York on Thursday before returning to Caracas. Some strike leaders, meanwhile, were in the United States pleading their case with U.S. government and business leaders.

Several nations voiced support for a so-called "Friends of Venezuela" proposal to strengthen the efforts of Gaviria, who has had little success in mediating talks since November.

"The solution must be democratic, constitutional, and, it seems, electoral," said Bolivian President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada.

Former President Jimmy Carter arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday for a fishing trip with Venezuelan businessman Gustavo Cisneros. Carter, whose Atlanta, Georgia-based Carter Center also is trying to resolve Venezuela's crisis, said that he would meet with Gaviria and government and opposition leaders next week.

www.sfgate.com CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER, Associated Press Writer Wednesday, January 15, 2003

(01-15) 15:48 PST CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) --

A seven-week-old opposition strike against President Hugo Chavez dropped Venezuela's currency to a new low Wednesday and sent Venezuelans in the capital scrambling to banks to buy dollars.

Support for Chavez's adamant refusal to consider early elections showed signs of crumbling as three pro-Chavez lawmakers unveiled a plan for an early vote on his presidency.

The strike has slashed oil exports to a trickle, depriving the government of half its income. Venezuela's bolivar currency closed at 1,716 to the U.S. dollar, down 6 percent from Tuesday. In Caracas, hundreds of citizens waited in long lines at banks and exchange houses to buy dollars.

Trying to calm fears of an economic crash, the government denied speculation that it plans to devalue the bolivar so it can balance its $25 billion budget. Most government income is in dollars and a weaker bolivar would increase its domestic spending power.

Venezuela has acknowledged the oil strike has cost $4 billion so far.

Venezuela's opposition launched the strike Dec. 2 to demand that Chavez resign or call early elections if he loses a Feb. 2 nonbinding referendum on his rule.

The National Elections Council is organizing the vote, but Chavez says he will ignore it, and ruling party lawmakers have challenged its legality in court. Venezuela's constitution allows citizens to petition for a binding referendum halfway through a six-year presidential term, or August. Opposition leaders fear Chavez will find a way to postpone it.

Chavez was elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2000.

Rafael Simon Jimenez, a pro-Chavez lawmaker who quit the leftist Podemos party, said he and two other legislators would introduce a measure as early as next week to amend the constitution. It would end Chavez's term later this year and allow general elections.

The proposal by Jimenez and Chavez supporters Guillermo Palacios and Luis Salas would leave opposition legislators just one vote shy of a simple majority needed to pass an amendment in the 165-seat Congress. Jimenez said he was looking for that vote.

Elections are the only way to solve Venezuela's political crisis and end the 45-day-old strike, which has raised gasoline and oil prices abroad, Jimenez said.

"We don't see an elections as a break with Chavez. We see elections as a response to the country's crisis," Jimenez said.

Legislator Freddy Lepage of the opposition Democratic Action party said Chavez was steadily losing support in Congress as the crisis deepened. "We still don't have the majority, but I'm confident we'll have it soon," he said.

Chavez enjoys the support of the military, which he purged of dissidents after a brief April coup. The government claims oil production is back up to 800,000 barrels a day, compared to a pre-strike level of 3 million barrels a day.

The U.S. Energy Department says American motorists could pay up to $1.54 per gallon of gasoline this spring even if war is averted in Iraq. Home heating oil prices rose 4.7 percent in December.

Negotiations mediated by Cesar Gaviria, secretary general of the Organization of American States, were briefly suspended while the region's leaders attended the Wednesday inauguration of Ecuadorean President Lucio Gutierrez.

In Quito, Ecuador, Chavez lashed out at his opponents as "a subversive movement from the far right, a fascist movement backed by economic elites."

Chavez was to meet with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in New York on Thursday before returning to Caracas. Some strike leaders, meanwhile, were in the United States pleading their case with U.S. government and business leaders.

Several nations voiced support for a so-called "Friends of Venezuela" proposal to strengthen the efforts of Gaviria, who has had little success in mediating talks since November.

"The solution must be democratic, constitutional, and, it seems, electoral," said Bolivian President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada.

Former President Jimmy Carter arrived in Venezuela on Wednesday for a fishing trip with Venezuelan businessman Gustavo Cisneros. Carter, whose Atlanta, Georgia-based Carter Center also is trying to resolve Venezuela's crisis, said that he would meet with Gaviria and government and opposition leaders next week.